Department of Earth and Biological Sciences
Faculty: Stephen G. Dunbar
New research projects
Yaqara Bay Biodiversity Inventory Project - project web site
Yaqara Bay Biodiversity Inventory Project report 2003-2005 report (PDF - 4.43 MB)
Knowledge of the biodiversity of shallow water cryptofauna of the Southwest Indo-Pacific region is severely limited. No studies have been undertaken to survey the biodiversity of the shallow marine invertebrates of Fiji, and taxonomic data on the country's marine invertebrates is scattered and spotty. There have been no studies that have made repeated collections of these organisms over time and across a variety of shallow habitats.
This project aims to survey the marine invertebrate fauna of Yaqara Bay, Fiji both prior and subsequent to coastal development of the area.
 View from Yaqara Bay, east to the mouth of the Yaqara River. |
 Hypersaline mangrove flats east of Yaqara Bay. |
For logistical purposes, we have chosen to target the Crustacea, the Echinodermata and the Polychaeta. The project commenced August 11 - September 1, 2003, when our field team (PI Dunbar, Rick Ware, Leslie Harris, Rob Lee and volunteer, Julia Brownlee) moved into the farmhouse with the Tagivuni family at the Yaqara Pastoral Company. We initially planned to place 16 Artificial Reef Matrix Systems (ARMS) (see Zimmerman and Martin, 2000 - 2002 for details) around the bay, but ended up replicating all our sites and placing 40 ARMS!
Rick Ware, Julia Brownlee, Rob Lee, and 'Joe' started the heavy work of producing the blocks for the ARMS. Cement was poured into forms and left to dry for about 24 hours. Once dry, blocks were removed from the forms and stacked together, ready to be tied. After being stacked together, a piece of air conditioning filter was put on top and the blocks were tightly tied together. The final assembly included randomly strapping dish scrubbers to the blocks and placing the whole structure in a PVC and plastic mesh "rubble basket."
Photo: R. Ware
We transported ARMS to the coast via tractor or 4WD. We then loaded up the ARMS, our dive gear, food, and equipment onto a small, local boat and headed off into some of the most beautiful waters in the world in order to place the structures. Being out there day after day was not easy, but it was fantastic! We were assisted by team members, Ben Drodrolagi, Ba Rawara and John Vakarewa from the Ministry of Fisheries and Forests, Fiji. These ARMS will remain submerged for one year, at which time the field team will return to the site, recover some of the ARMS (some will stay in place for the entire study period), and replace them with new ones. Specimens will then be live sorted, photographed, preserved for taxonomic, morphologic, and DNA analyses, and prepared for shipment to collaborating institute, the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. We anticipate collecting a very large number of species new to science and will provide these specimens to specialist taxonomists around the world for description.
A web-based photographic catalogue will be made available and data collected will also be available on appropriate taxonomic databases already established, providing important information on the region's biodiversity to both the scientific community and the public at large.
Sharing our research with local area students and teachers is a vital aspect of the project. In order to be successful, we need to ensure that present and future teachers, as well as the next generation of researchers, managers, and public officials, understand the importance of monitoring and protecting their reefs. The students of Drauniivi Public School are already looking forward to our return next year, so that they can discover what creatures have made their homes in the student's blocks.
The field work is due to conclude in January, 2007. However, the work of identification of known species and descriptions of newly discovered species is likely to continue for many years.
Be sure to visit the Yaqara Bay Biodiversity Inventory Project web site.
Yaqara Bay Biodiversity Inventory Project report 2003-2005 report (PDF - 4.43 MB)
[Biology program] [Department of Earth and Biological Sciences homepage]